To Automate or Not - What Furniture Manufacturers Need to Know and the Coming of Industry 4.0

Synopsis: Highlight the key findings of the most comprehensive nation-wide survey of the state of automation and the preparedness of the industry in general towards the adoption of Industry 4.0. It will provide useful insights for industry players, policy makers as well as students as to where the furniture industry is heading with regards to mechanisation and automation.

Prof. Dr. Jegatheswaran Ratnasingam is a leading authority on Malaysian furniture with more than 30 years industry and academia experience. He has consulted extensively for many manufacturers throughout Asia and is the author of more than 700 publications. Currently Professor of Furniture Manufacturing & Management at the Faculty of Forestry, Universiti Putra Malaysia, he is also a Senior Research Fellow of the International Furniture Research Group.

From Appearance to Contents: An Evolution of Interior Design

9 March 2019 • 11:00am - 11:45am

Enrico G. Cleva, ec&co., Italy

Synopsis: Interior design has been changing in recent years. From the focus on beauty, harmony, balanced forms and colours, elements mostly related to appearance and functionality, interior design now involves the additional dimension on content such as sustainability, well-being and the relationship between humans and nature.

Enrico G. Cleva is an architect, interior designer and international business development consultant. He is a strategic consultant for the Interior Designers of Canada, and a regular speaker on interior design trends. A graduate of Politecnico di Milano University, Enrico founded his practice ec&co. in 2005, focused mainly in interior design for corporate office and high end residential projects. He writes for international magazines and he is a consultant for Fiera Milano on global shows, including Host. Milano and Tuttofood.

Understanding Supply Chain and Regulatory Risks for Furniture Manufacturers and How to Minimise Them

9 March 2019 • 11:45am - 12:30pm

Mike O’Hara, UL, Vietnam

Synopsis: Navigating today’s global market is riskier and more complex than ever before, UL works with stakeholders globally to empower trust and help navigate market complexity through responsible design, production, marketing and purchase of goods, solutions and innovations of today and tomorrow. At this seminar we’ll share solutions in furniture industry to help brands/retailers well manage risk in both market and supply chain side.

Mike O’Hara is General Manager of Global Furniture in Underwriters Laboratories Inc, a company he joined in 1996 and served in many capacities. He has worked with industry stakeholders to develop new services like Mechanical Performance Certification and Sub-Assembly Safety Certification. Over the last year, he worked in partnership with the American Home Furnishing Alliance (AHFA) to pilot and launch the AHFA and UL Product Stability Verification Program of which he is very proud of because it deals with critical quality and safety issues that faces the industry today.

Future Design Challenge

9 March 2019 • 2:00pm - 3:30pm

Various (see below)

Synopsis: Delve into the impact on design in an era of millennials and ageing populations as it pertains to the future of furniture retail.

Design Challenge in 21st Century • Dr Eric Leong, The One Academy, MalaysiaDr Eric Leong is a design celebrity with 28 years of experience. He is popular for a series of home makeover ideas, interior decoration and lifestyle shows aired on Malaysian television and known as the “King of Decoration”. He is Head of Interior Design at The One Academy, a leading art and design college, and Principal of its Penang campus. He is Chief Judge of the 2019 MIFF Furniture Design Competition.

Smart Design for Smart Aging • Tul Lekutai , Deco Moda Studio, ThailandTul Lekutai is an architectural graduate of Chiang Mai University in 2002. He is involved in diverse creative fields from architecture to product design, festival design and visual practitioners in Thailand and overseas. He is the founder of Deco Moda Studio and Pictures Talk., and is deeply engaged in the organisation of Nimmanhemin Art and Design Promenade, one of the most renowned design festivals in Chiang Mai, for 15 years and in charge of festival design at Chiang Mai Design Week in 2014 & 2016. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the United States-based International Forum of Visual Practitioners. He is a judge of 2019 MIFF Furniture Design Competition.

Elevating Design Through Wood • Hamidah Abdullah, Malaysian Timber Council, MalaysiaHamidah Abdullah is Director of Strategic Planning at the Malaysian Timber Council with over 25 years of work experience in the state agency to promote the development and growth of the Malaysian timber industry. She is a wood technology graduate from the Universiti Teknologi Mara, Malaysia, with valuable knowledge about the use of timber in the construction sector and promoting glulam as one of the materials for building component. Among her core duties include proposing strategies for the growth of the timber industry. She successfully initiated the Malaysian Wood Awards 2017, a premier competition aimed to encourage wider use of Malaysian timbers in the built environment.

No Free Design! • Design. East West

9 March 2019 • 3:30pm - 4:15pm

Various (see below)

No Free Design! • Walter Tan, Element Furniture, Hong Kong/Malaysia

Synopsis: A designer’s job is as equal to other professions such as engineer, lawyer, accountant and doctor, and just as noble. This session provides an insight into a designer’s world, work and challenges.

Walter Tan designs and develops a variety of furniture for markets all over the world and has 25 years of industry experience. He is a design director for Element Furniture, a wooden furniture manufacturer in China and a furniture design consultant for a Sydney-based company. He has mentored a group of young designers called “Pattern Banyak” to showcase their work at the 2019 MIFF young talent showcase Millennials@Design.

Design. East West • Kok Wen Yee, London/Malaysia

Synopsis: The different design culture of East versus West.

Kok Wen Yee is an interior designer with a BA in Interior Architecture. Design has made her rethink the importance of knowing the past and present. She believes these are the catalyst to good designs to create better memories within spaces and to create better felt emotions.

Synopsis: A presentation of Canadian projects by the National Advocacy association for professional Interior Designers in Canada. Founded in 1972, as the national advocacy body, IDC represents more than 5,000 members including fully qualified interior designers, intern members, students, educators and retired members. In addition, IDC’s Industry Members are over 200 manufacturers and suppliers who provide products and services for interior design projects and firms.

Sally Mills employs her 30 years of expansive design experience to transform corporate interiors into places of innovation and collaboration. She is adept in both visionary processes and project management protocols, and engages her inquisitive nature to tackle design challenges by asking the right questions and crafting inspired solutions for reimagined workplaces. Regarded as a mentor from both interior design professionals and students, Sally’s forte lies in mentoring and guiding her team, harnessing their collective wisdom, and co-creating compelling spaces.

Barbora Krsiakova is the association’s main contact with the manufacturers and suppliers of interior design products and services and key partners from coast to coast. Lead in association’s events and corporate programs.

Krista Paine has been honoured with multiple awards locally and internationally for her architectural and interior design. She is a member of local, provincial, and international boards and committees and is a judge for multiple housing awards of excellence programs. Krista has been honoured to be published internationally outlining her innate belief that design's intention must be to better one's way of life.

Kara MacGregor is co-owner of the firm MAC Interior Design Inc., Kara has been working as an interior designer in Halifax, Canada for over 26 years. She currently focuses on hospitality projects that span across Canada and occasionally into the US. Kara became an accredited LEED AP in 2004 and has successfully completed two LEED projects. She has served on the Board of the Atlantic Chapter of the Canada Green Building Council, and is a former President of the Interior Designers of Nova Scotia (IDNS) and former Board Member of the Interior Designers of Canada (IDC).

Romanian Furniture Market Forum

10 March 2019 • 11:45am - 12:30pm

Various (see below)

A Swiss-Romanian Project Guiding the First Steps of SMEs on the International MarketZilahi Imre, Romanian Wood Craft (RWC), Romania